Samottai
Samottai Created by TBA A nation of magic created by the god Shaktai after he merged the previous nations of the region into one. Geography Originally, the land was mostly covered in vast plains home to many creatures and plants. In order to have an environment more suited for his experiments, Shaktai transformed the land with magic crystals that consumed almost all of the life in the region. The life which remained evolved to become more resistant to the leaching effect of the desert that now covers the land. The humans that originally inhabited the land have been, with the aid of Shaktai, aided with the adaptation to the new environment so much so that they are the only people who can survive the harsh climate. The nation is surrounded to the west, south, and east by oceans. To the north, one would find a long stretch of mountains going from west to east. There are only two main routes that one may use to go to other sections of the continent. One is by the port city of Falcon Edge that is located in the north-west part of the nation. The other path is located in the north-east and is a plains region. The desert spans most of the land and is divided the Red Narrows and the Sohrab river. The Desert The red sand of the desert comes from magic crystals that have eroded over time. The sand retains some of the properties of the crystals themselves, and if a large or powerful enough animal dies in the desert, they will form a small amount of crystal as grains of sand grow around the corpse. Although unlikely, one may come across an oasis or two that have been unaffected by the harsh climate and may even have a small village surrounding it. The Red Narrows The Red Narrows is a region of land that spans the central section of the land and divides the desert in two. It is named for the red sands of the desert and the massive canyon network carved by the river Sohrab. Sohrab The river Sohrab, is the largest and longest river of the continent flowing south until it reaches the ocean. It carved the Red Narrows gaining a red-purplish coloring in the process. The beginning of the river is high in the mountains to the north and on its' journey south is fed by three main tributaries. The Sohrab passes through the capital city of Sohratai and the southern port city of Shamaris at the mouth of the river. Major Locations Sohratai Capital city of Sohrattai, located in the center of the desert along the Sohrab river. Located in the canyon, the homes are built on the canyon floor, the cliff sides, and above the cliffs. there are bridges spanning the width of the canyon and over the river. There are three main structures that are unique to the city. They are the Palace, the Grand Library, and the Great Dam. The Palace is the largest of the structures and is where the decisions regarding the governing of the nation take place. It is made primarily of crystal. Shaktai usually would not be found here, but would occasionally stop by especially when decisions of massive importance needed to be addressed. The ruling of the nation was mainly left to over to the Ancient Basirak. The Grand Library is the central location for all knowledge and research of magic. It is made of both crystal and stone. Under the supervision of the Ancient Sherifan, the Library is only open to select few outside of the researchers, mainly the Elders. The Great Dam is a magnificent structure spanning the width of the river at the center of the city and is mostly made of crystal. The lake created by the Dam in the northern section of the city is used to irrigate the land around it. Powered by the Dam, the southern section of the city is mainly for industrial purposes. Shaktai's Tombstone When Shaktai died, his body was quickly overgrown with crystals that fed on the remaining life-force and a massive mountain of the stuff grew there. It is located east from the capital, Sohratai. Shaktai The god of magic, Shaktai, was obsessed with science though the use of experiments. After merging the nations around the Red Narrows, he transformed the land into one suitable for his laboratory. Because Shaktai used his own life-force to amplify his experiments, he was more frail than the other gods, but this was offset by a massive supply of highly concentrated magic. Shaktai was of frail complexion and his appearance was largely a mystery due to the robes he was wearing. Only the goddess of air would know his true form. The robes themselves were relatively plain but were decorated with runes that were used by Shaktai to summon tools and other items that he may have needed on a daily basis. To help him with his experiments and the governing of Samottai, Shaktai created six beings to stand above the humans inhabiting the nation that are called Ancients. Magic The primary source of magic in Samottai are red magical crystals the consolidate life-force inside themselves, growing as more life-force is collected. The effect of the crystals is proportional to their size; a crystal the size of a human's fist may make them weary over several hours but would kill small insects on contact. A mountain of crystal would be impossible for anything animated with any life-force or magic to get near without being killed in moments. Magic is expressed in complex rituals. Anyone is able to learn magic, however, magic crystals are a necessary part of the process. Magic crystals are only found within the nation of Samottai and are very rarely put up on the market. This decision has given rise to various smuggling activities.